[ossig] MYOSS/REDHAT Meetup

[Jason Lim <jasonlimcm@xxxxxxxxx>]

The MYOSS + Red Hat Meetup Group

We can still vividly remember our first RedHat meetup on 1 April 2004,
with a group of people consists of  10 turn ups at the Coffee Bean!

A small group of people that has no specific direction, we simply chat
around with all kinds of topic. There was a time when our attendance 
of meetup group has hit a super low season of only 3 turn-ups! After
much discussion and reasoning, we realize that we need a change in 
running this meetup group.

We have come to realize that the cause of our low attendance is due to
a lack of proper channel in promoting, networking, and sharing our
knowledge and ideas in Open Source!

And thanks to Mr Hew, the former Channel Manager for Red Hat Asia
Pacific, he introduced Training Choice to us. Our proposal has gained
trust and commitment from Training Choice in offering a free venue for
us to meet up and run this group in an extraordinary way. With a
combination of technical knowledge presentation and networking
elements by fellowship and ice-breaking, our meet up group has
expanded to 30 members within 3 months' time!

It attracts people from all walks of life in joining the group,
ranging from students, IT professionals, professors to overseas
delegates, people is coming to know more about Open Source and how it
could benefit the Malaysian community. To date, the meetup group has
combined both MYOSS and Red Hat members,  and we are still growing
healthily.

The new combined meetup at Training Choice has been a beneficial
effort for the community. The objective of this group is to encourage
sharing of information, as in the spirit of Open Source. We encourage
our members to present their topics and their findings. If you have
something to show concerning open source, but not sure how to do it,
you are most welcome to approach us for guidance. We believe that as
we generously and freely share on what we could give, it is in return
a blessing to us to see the community benefiting out of our sharing,
and bring it forward the seed of knowledge on Open Source to the
public. With time, we hope that it will grow and flourish abundantly.

However, during the meetup on 3 April 2005, someone has come to take
and break... it is much regretful to know that a rotten fruit has
mixed into our group, he has come to spoil two units of our LCD panel
(HP1502 LCD) and steal two USB mouse away(HP M-169 USB Scroll Mouse)
from Training Choice. It was an evening that nobody should ever
forget, that we have heartless people who come to pay back evil for
good. While we believe sooner or later we will track down the culprit,
we still have immediate work to do in replacing the LCD panel and
mouse.

As the organizer of this event, it hurts us greatly. The cost of
replacement is about RM1,500. Since we do not demand money for the
education that we offer, we therefore urge the community to help us in
recovering the cost of replacement via donation. Kindly support us by
donating to "My Directory Sdn Bhd" if you are issuing a cheque, or, if
it is by cash, we will have a cash donation campaign on our next
meetup on 5 May 2005 at Training Choice. You may send your cheque
donation, specifying "For Meetup Group" at the back of your cheque,
to:


Mr Yeak Nai Siew
My Directory Sdn Bhd
#34-03,Menara Dion,
  27 Jalan Sultan Ismail
  50250 Kuala Lumpur.
 Tel: 03- 2070 4278



This incident serves as an important lesson to all of us that, we need
to set up some guidelines in protecting ourselves from being sabotaged
by irresponsible people. We shall improve on our structure and I ask
all members to volunteer and contribute your ideas and skills in
making this meetup group a success.

Success is achieved via bit-by-bit learning from experience and
perseverance to carry on. We need YOU to be involved in the
fine-tuning process of how we should run this meetup group in better
ways.

We long to see the community growing as members learn to respect,
appreciate and support each other in making this community a special
one. To you and to me.

Thank you.


Best regards,
The Meetup Organizing Committee

lcd-and-mouse.jpg